Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Over the years I've found many simple tricks to help those who want to quit smoking. At the end of the day, it is up to you to stop and only you can keep yourself from having another cigarette, but there are some things you can do that can help ease the transition from nicotine junky to well adjusted non smoker.

Below are 11 simple tricks that can help you in the early days of quitting smoking.

CRANBERRY JUICE - Helps flush the nicotine out of your system. If you did nothing at all your body would be rid of nicotine in 72 hours but drinking cranberry juice can accelerate the amount of time it takes to remove the nicotine from your body. Try to find a sugar free organic cranberry juice.

WHITE WINE VINEGAR - Swish some white wine vinegar around in your mouth several times a day for as long as you can tolerate. This really cleans your mouth and gives you a fresh, clean feeling. One of the challenges you face when you quit is that taste in your mouth that tells you that you want a cigarette. Try a little white wine vinegar the next time.

NIACIN - Don't overdue it with this vitamin, but there is some evidence that niacin helps to flush out the nicotine in your body. Again your goal the first couple days is to rid yourself of nicotine as quickly as possible. I would not recommend taking excessive doses of niacin for an extended period but it can be very helpful the first few days.

CLEAN YOUR MOUTH -I found this combination to help really deter me from wanting a cigarette. After swishing some White wine vinegar in my mouth, I would brush my teeth with a little hydrogen peroxide to wet my toothbrush, then toothpaste with a little baking powder on top. Not sure what it is with this mixture but it really made me not want a cigarette after.

BAKING SODA - Some people have sworn by the powers of baking soda to quit smoking. What an amazing product,not only is it a cooking aid, it helps deodorize your refrigerator and now even helps quit smoking. Try mixing a small amount in a glass of water or just placing a dab on your tongue when you have an urge to smoke. There is something about the alkalinity of the substance that helps fight nicotine craves. Again, I would not recommend using on a long term basis.

VITAMIN C -When you smoke you rapidly deplete vitamin C in your body. In fact, if you have smoked continuously you probably have not had enough vitamin C for some time. Take a supplement daily to replenish this much needed nutrient.

OLD CIGARETTES - Don't keep any cigarettes that can still be smoked, but rather keep a container with water and some of your old discarded cigarettes. If you ever have an urge for a cigarette, open that container and take a big whiff. There is nothing more disgusting than that smell and it will certainly deter you from wanting a cigarette.

REDUCE CAFFEINE - Another strange effect of smoking is that your body can not absorb caffeine the same way a non smoker does. You can drink much more coffee without your body absorbing the caffeine when you are a smoker. But when you quit, you will notice immediately that the caffeine absorbs much faster. This is critical when you are quitting, don't drink the same amount of coffee or sodas, it will make you very jittery and uneasy. I would not eliminate it completely, but I would recommend reducing your intake to a cup a day or a soda a day. In most cases your body will tell you it has had enough, just heed the warnings.

ICE CHIPS - When you have a crave, or even before you have a crave, put an ice chip in your mouth and swirl it around. Be sure to hold it in your gums and cheeks. This will help when you have a craving.

POSITIVE AFFIRMATIONS - The human mind is an incredibly powerful thing. When you tell it you like smoking everyday, your subconscious starts to believe it, remind you that you love smoking and want a cigarette. In the same way, you can reprogram your subconscious to not like smoking and in fact convince it that you hate smoking. As often as possible repeat out loud "I hate smoking, I am a non smoker, I love my new healthy lifestyle". In time your mind will convince your subconscious that this is true. After all, it is true, you just have to get your mind to believe it.

VISIT A HOSPITAL - There is nothing more powerful than witnessing the effects of smoking long term in person. See the devastation this drug has had on people and how it has ruined the lives of so many. To see the suffering in person, to see the pain that this can cause, will make the minor pangs of withdrawal seem like nothing.

Good luck on quitting. You have the power to stop smoking. You have the desire to stop smoking. Now just do it, stop smoking now.

If you are thinking of making the switch to electronic cigarettes to quit, you need to understand that this will not help your addiction but only perpetuate it. Check out the nicotine content by brand of ecigs http://ecigfacts.blogspot.com/